{http://songslinger.virtualave.net}
 
 
 
 
 

Summary:  The cold and snow did not help the slow fishing conditions one bit.  A little warm up and some more rain will ge things flowing, literally and figuratively.

STRIPED BASS:  There have been some keepers on the Petaluma River on the outgoing but that's about it.  Babies everywhere will worry your bait and sometimes get hooked.  Wait for a warming trend in the Delta and try the north waters near Rio Vista.  It's not happening now.

STURGEON:  San Pablo Bay is not as good as it should be from the shore. Maybe it's all the crabs.  A better prospect is South Bay, with the Dumbarton Pier and surrounding shore.  At least there are diamondbacks down there.
 
 

PERCH: Good fishing on the low tide at Fort Point for large striped, silver, and black perch on pile worms.  Oyster Point has black perch and rubberlipped perch on pile worms and grass shrimp.  The same baits have been effective from Emeryville to Richmond as well. Mostly black and pile perch there.   Generally it's a good time to fish for perch except on the surf.
 

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES:  Still kingfish in San Pablo Bay and jacksmelt near the Gate.  Flounder are available at Martinez in the flats west of the pier; also along the Rodeo shoreline and in Marin at McNear's Beach.

FRESHWATER:   Trout plants this week at Temescal, Shadow Cliffs, Chabot, Del Valle, and Lagunitas.  Cold weather has killed the bite for anything except trout.  The good news is, you can find trout fairly close to shore at most of the lakes and reservoirs.  PowerBait in orange and chartreuse would be the way to go right now.  All the plantings have helped bring on some action.
 

DELTA RUMORS:  The big sturgeon derby is going on this Super Bowl weekend, so if you are a shoreliner, forget the Delta.  One, you are not allowed to enter the derby, and two, the pressure of all those yahoos in search of a prize will spook the bite, churn the water, and mess things up in a generally nasty way.  Besides the cold water makes for crummy fishing anyway.  Striper fishing is poor except for some spurts near Bacon Island in the south.  Catfish are biting everywhere on clams, shrimp, and fishy baits, but again the derby will screw that up, so go south for the whisker fish too.